My husband and I met in March 2016 through E Harmony, he lived in Florida and I here in the UK, I spent alot of time in Florida with him throughout 2016 including our first Christmas and subsequent New Year together. He came to the UK in March 2017 and lived with me throughout the 6 months of his stay. During this time he really fell in love with the UK and we decided this is where we'd settle. We happily got engaged shortly afterwards and began planning our wedding. In order for us to get married here in the UK we were required to meet with the Home Office and get permission. We met with them in May 2017, we were interviewed together and seperatley and provided all documentation of our relationship etc that was required. Because we didn't have nor had we applied for a Marriage Visa the Home Office had to decide if they were happy for us to go ahead and marry. It took a few weeks but we were thrilled to recieve correspondence from them saying we had been approved. We had our ceremony on August 7th 2017. My husband left the UK on 1st September 2017 a few days short of the 6 months he was able to be here without a visa. On the 4th September 2017 he submitted his application for the Spouse Visa along with sending our supporting documents to the Home Office Sheffield Offices. Our supporting Docs were gathered in accordance to the list and guidlines on the Gov.UK website which we used as a checklist to ensure complete compliance. It was a few weeks after this that we discovered we were pregnant and expecting our first child. We were thrilled and excited and just joyous, eager for our reuniting to enjoy the baby journey together. In November we were hit with a massive blow when my husband received a letter stating he had been refused the visa. The letter stated that despite our Marriage Certificate we hadn't proven that we had actually met. This statement made no sense, the marriage certificate is a UK marriage certificate and it was the Home Office who had previously met us and given us approval. We wouldn't have been able to get married without this permission. They also said that my income wasn't proven to meet the threshold despite my submitting over 12 months worth of invoices along with corresponding Bank Statements and a statement from the Company I work for. (All stated as required on gov.uk) We decided at that point to appeal as we had more than enough extra documentation to show the points raised were unfounded. In our appeal bundle we submitted our entire relationship from the day we met back in the beginning of 2016. E Harmony supplied us with all our communications from the day we met to the day we closed our accounts. We included all our pictures including wedding pictures, txt messages, phone calls, video calls, emails basically our entire communication history, boarding passes showing the numerous times we were physically together and length of time we spent together, all the new pregnancy documentation we had to date, social media, statements from supporting bodies. As for my finances, we submitted all my HMRC documentation including SA302, Tax Year Over view for 2016-2017 & 2017-2018, my current position and upcoming Tax Bill. I also resubmitted all supporting bank statements and invoices from April 2016 right upto that point which was November 2017, this time I highlighted each deposit to match it to the corresponding invoice and highlighted all my details such as name, address etc stated on the invoices, bank statements and Tax Docs to show they were all matching. I also paid an ICAEW Registered Accountant to audit me and provide a statement stating all income was lawful and correct and my Landlord issued a statement to show home stability and security and that our property is more than adequate size wise. My husband submitted the entire bundle well within the 28 day time scale given to us if we wanted to appeal. The Courts and Tribunals Dept approved the appeal, they processed it and our bundle was submitted back to the Home Office Sheffield Offices on December 21st 2017 for them to over turn the decision. They were given a deadline of April 4th 2018 to have dealt with our case. We are still waiting. Now facing a judicial review which could take yet more months. All because the Home Office made the mistake of denying us in the first place and then ignoring our appeal since. They have even ignored my MP. I had advised the Courts and Tribunals Dept that my due date was May 20th 2018 (now 15th May)and asked them to bring the deadline forward because given the length of time it takes to go through the various processes we would be right up against it for my husband to be home in time for our daughter being born. All Expedite Requests have been denied stating our circumstances weren't compelling enough. That statement alone raises the question as to why there are thousands and thousands of pounds every year being spent on research done by the NHS to show how important it is for expectant mums esp first time mums to be as calm and relaxed as possible and the importance of the father being there for the birth and to bond with the new born. Not only that but the guidance on gov.uk is not accurate. My husband and I had to dig out Requirement Appendixes not stated on gov.uk in order to guarantee compliance. The system is designed to keep people out despite their right to be here. The problem is that we are being ignored and dismissed along with the countless other families out there going through the same process and being so cruelly kept apart. Our lives just put on hold with a shut up and suffer attitude. My husband is about to miss the birth of our daughter, it's disgusting. Please sign this petition, stand up and show that as British Citizens we are not going to allow our rights to be violated like this. We are not going to allow our families to be torn apart by this terrible system. Changes need to be made and they need to be made now.

There is no legal requirement for the prime minister to consult MPs before taking military action, or even to inform them. In 2007, shortly after entering No 10, Gordon Brown vowed to limit the Royal Prerogative under which the prime minister can unilaterally declare war. Parliament, Brown proposed, would be guaranteed the right to approve “significant, non-routine” deployments of the armed forces to “the greatest extent possible”. But absorbed by the 2008 financial crisis and the recession that followed, the government abandoned reform. Under the recent era of international relations and modern warfare catastrophic and irreparable damages to human and other life can be caused on errors of judgement. The constitutional powers, accordingly, need to be reviewed and renewed.

This is important so that democracy in the U.K. is upheld and not ignored.

This act has been successfully implemented in the US, targeting those malign actors (particularly in the employ of the Russian State) that utilise intimidation, fear mongering, thuggery, assassination and trolling to further their own ends, the ends of their state and avoid prosecution through the true rule of law. It targets them where they can be hurt the most: their wallets. Following the nerve agent attack in Salisbury on 4th March 18 the Russian State (as by far and away the most likely perpetrator) have taken yet another step towards exporting globalised intimidation, corruption and "warfare by other means". The Sunday Times has today (11th March 18) revealed that, despite promises from the Prime Minister in the 2016 election, "Russian oligarchs and their associates have registered donations of more than £820,000 to the Conservative Party since Theresa May became prime minister" (The Sunday Times - 11 March 18). The leading party in the UK Government has accepted money from the most likely state agent of this attack. As such they cannot be trusted, without pressure, to respond to this attack with the necessary "robustness" that they have promised. There are already calls from within the governing Conservative Party to "wait and collect evidence" so as not to "act disproportionately". The Russian State are reliant on such rigid adherence to "due process", knowing full well how to circumvent it and continue operating with impunity. This petition calls on all MPs in all parties to support the implementation of the Criminal Finances Act IN FULL and IMMEDIATELY as the only appropriate response to this heinous and egregious assault on our sovereignty and our safety. This will not stand, and while our politicians shuffle their feet, wring their hands and worry about their donations, we will act. For Sergei Skripal, his daughter and our own Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey who remains in a serious condition at this time, we raise this petition to force all politicians from all parties (including those financially incentivised to look the other way) to vote in favour of this act as a start to the UK's response to this attack on our people and our nation.

My name is Gaia the Garbage. I help run Ecologisers, a Young People's Anti-litter Campaign. For a 2 minute fun-video that gives the whole picture, please visit https://vimeo.com/233979354 We have 4 creative projects we're forwarding and have taken into schools, and universities through current teacher-training routes. These are: Alternative Santa, LItter Goes LIterary, the Children's Humorously Captioned Photography Competition and the writing of EcoSongs. I've written 45 EcoSongs. Put upbeat celebratory eco-lyrics to famous out-of-copyright tunes. This project and others like it are important because the way we tackle problems, including global problems, is not solution-oriented. It's quick-fix or commerically-led. Though we have been running this campaign for 4 years we have funded it ourselves as litter is seen as the pariah of the enivronmental movement. Numerous applications for funding we have made have failed. At Ecologisers we want to make litter 'sexy'!!

The Russian use of chemical weapons on UK territory is an act of war. The reckless use of a highly toxic chemical in a public place exposed many innocent people to mortal danger and showed contempt for the rule of law, UK sovereignty and human rights. The UN was originally set up for the express purpose of preventing acts of war between member states. Any unilateral sanctions against Russia by the UK will not have the impact or the authority of an international resolution of all states reaffirming the international rule of law. In these times of increasing international insecurity, it's vital that all peace-loving nations come together in solidarity to condemn such actions by rogue states.

Retirement-age UK citizens who migrated from commonwealth countries as children, and who have lived, worked, and paid taxes in the UK for several decades, are now having their rights as British citizens called into question. British citizens are being denied NHS treatment, evicted from council homes and denied the right to work, on the basis that they do not have the paperwork to prove their entitlement to these basic British, and fundamentally human, rights. Take the case of 63 year old Albert Thompson. He has lived and worked in London for 44 years, but was recently denied NHS treatment for cancer because he is not able to produce a British passport. He will only receive the treatment if he can produce the £54,000 needed to fund it. He arrived from Jamaica as a teenager, but the Home Office is disputing his eligibility to remain here. Last year he was evicted from his council-owned accommodation because the Home Office suddenly questioned his eligibility. According to the migration charity Praxis, they have seen a sharp rise in cases like this since records began in 2015. British citizens cannot allow this callous treatment of our friends and neighbours to continue.

The rollout of Benefit changes is coming to Tendring soon. We have seen the chaos and consequences of benefit arrears in other areas that have rolled out and wish to do all we can to alleviate the problems in Tendring

This petition urges MCC to overturn the decision to allow DC/2017/00563 to go ahead and furthermore to reject the application DC/2017/00700 by DPS waste incineration. This directly affects your health and that of your family and friends. YOUR VOICE MATTERS and IT DOES COUNT. If approved Severnside air pollution WILL increase forever, with significant predictable life threatening and life changing health consequences for many, including the most vulnerable youngest members of society. Research has proven unborn babies; infants and children are most at risk from incinerator emissions. Incinerators are associated with direct causal links to all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and lung cancer, including both adult and childhood cancer. Other associated issues include: birth defects, increased respiratory issues, emotional and behavioural problems in children including autism, dyslexia, ADHD, learning difficulties, and delinquency. And, furthermore potential cell level genetic changes pose a risk to future generations. Whilst in adults: violence, dementia, depression and Parkinson’s disease are all attributable. These findings come from a wide variety of peer reviewed research and reports conducted by The World Health Organisation, British Heart Foundation, British Lung Foundation, DEFRA, Asthma UK, and many others. The latest planning application (DC2017/00700) is needed to build Chimneystacks for the operation of both the incinerator unit and storage units for the waste both pre and post incineration. The planned chimneystacks are out of keeping with surrounding local village architecture and may potentially contravene NPPF guidelines. Equally the granting of this application may contravene The Future Generations Act 2015 and this must be considered in any decision made. No one can guarantee that waste incineration is totally safe for public health. The toxic emissions and particulate pollution have to go somewhere. It is enshrined in EC and UK legislation that reducing emissions produces true health benefits, reduces the burden on healthcare, and protects against the impacts of acid air, and its effect on water including local and wide ranging ecosystems and the food chain. . Research has demonstrated that the hazards of incineration are greater than previously realised especially relating to fine and ultra fine particulates. Operating waste incinerators in urban areas results in dangerous health and environmental consequences from both construction and operation. The proposed site is adjacent to a community Greenfield site (The Cornfield project), used daily by dog walkers as well as families using the numerous picnic areas contained within it. Caldicot Castle and Country Park are within ½ mile, which is also used for food festivals and outdoor concerts exposing even more people to potential harm. In the village there is an infant/junior school whilst a newly built comprehensive lies within two miles. Furthermore there is already one housing development locally of 212 houses and a proposed development of 285 houses and dementia care facility to be built virtually opposite this facility. Residents of Severnside have the human right to clean air and their health protected. Transport of the Waste to the plant causes another issue, with huge diesel lorries coming and going from Bristol to the property throughout the day passing both the country park, new development and dementia care facility on the Crick Road site in Portskewett. The company will be self regulated meaning they would be responsible for reporting their own breaches. In other self-regulatory plants it has been reported there have been over 1000 breaches recorded. And whilst it is implied the emissions from the plant “Will not harm the health of residents”, what safeguards are there for more vulnerable groups, including those with asthma, COPD and youngsters whose lung development can be stunted by pollution This plant may potentially release a cocktail of particulate matter, chemicals, metals, dioxins and furans - the most toxic chemicals known to science. The major source of dioxins & furans in the environment come from burning waste! Experts have warned these are all a major cause of cancers, birth defects, breathing difficulties and heart disease. These poisons will fall over a wide area around Severnside and beyond, wherever the winds take it. We urge MCC to disallow planning for the proposed stacks and to overturn its original decision (DC/2017/00563) to allow the site to be used for incineration. Sign this petition. Save our future generations by saying no to incineration.

Prison leaders, from local to national, presided over an “abject failure” to provide a safe, decent and purposeful regime at HMP Liverpool, according to Peter Clarke, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons. In a report outlining jail conditions that experienced inspectors regarded as the worst they could remember, Mr Clarke said it was “hard to understand how the leadership of the prison could have allowed the situation to deteriorate to this extent.” Inspectors found squalid living conditions, with dirt, litter, rats and cockroaches, and an environment in which drugs were easily available and violence had increased. Mr Clarke added: “While much of what we found was clearly the responsibility of local prison managers, there had been a broader organisational failure. We saw clear evidence that local prison managers had sought help from regional and national management to improve conditions they knew to be unacceptable long before our arrival, but the resulting support was inadequate and had made little impact on outcomes for prisoners.” HMP Liverpool is a local category B prison serving the Merseyside area. A traditional local jail with “a very strong sense of local identity”, it held 1,115 men at the time of the unannounced inspection in September 2017. It was last inspected in May 2015. Since then, the prison had deteriorated in terms of respect and purposeful activity and these elements were poor, the lowest possible assessment, in 2017. Safety and resettlement work, the two other key inspection tests, were judged as ‘not sufficiently good.’ However, Mr Clarke said, the bare statistics “do not adequately describe the abject failure of HMP Liverpool to offer a safe, decent and purposeful environment.” He identified key issues: Violence of all kinds had increased. Over a third of prisoners felt unsafe at the time of the inspection, and 71% felt unsafe at some time. Nearly two-thirds of prisoners said it was easy or very easy to obtain drugs. Drones carrying drugs and other illicit items were a substantial problem. Staff had recovered 32 drones in the six months before the inspection, more than one a week. Half of the prisoners were locked in their cells during the working day. There were also significant failings in the leadership and management of activities and in health care. There was a backlog of some 2,000 maintenance tasks and it was clear that facilities management at the prison “was in a parlous state.” Mr Clarke added: “The inspection team was highly experienced and could not recall having seen worse living conditions than those at HMP Liverpool. “Many cells were not fit to be used and should have been decommissioned. Some had emergency call bells that were not working but were nevertheless still occupied, presenting an obvious danger to prisoners. There were hundreds of unrepaired broken windows, with jagged glass left in the frames. Many lavatories were filthy, blocked or leaking. There were infestations of cockroaches in some areas, broken furniture, graffiti, damp and dirt. “I saw piles of rubbish that had clearly been there for a long time, and in which inspectors reported seeing rats on a regular basis. I was told by a senior member of staff that it had not been cleared by prisoners employed as cleaning orderlies because it presented a health and safety risk. It was so bad that external contractors were to be brought in to deal with it. In other words, this part of the jail had become so dirty, infested and hazardous to health that it could not be cleaned.” Mr Clarke was particularly troubled by the case of one vulnerable man with complex mental health needs being held in a cell that had no furniture other than a bed. “The windows of both the cell and the toilet recess were broken, the light fitting in his toilet was broken with wires exposed, the lavatory was filthy and appeared to be blocked, his sink was leaking and the cell was dark and damp. “Extraordinarily, this man had apparently been held in this condition for some weeks…It should not have needed my personal intervention for this man to be moved from such appalling conditions.” Inspectors could see “no credible plan” to address these basic problems. Mr Clarke said: “Although there are several change projects underway at the prison, none of these will address the basic failings that were so painfully obvious at HMP Liverpool. I was particularly concerned that there did not appear to be effective leadership or sufficiently rigorous external oversight to drive the prison forward in a meaningful way. This report makes it crystal clear that leaders at all levels, both within the prison and beyond, had presided over the failure to address the concerns raised at the last inspection.” Michael Spurr, Chief Executive of Her Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service, said: “The conditions which Inspectors found at Liverpool were unacceptable and effective measures should have been taken to deal with the issues at a much earlier stage. We are committed to fixing this, have already made changes where we can, and have today published a comprehensive action plan to address the Chief Inspector’s concerns.Following the Inspection we took immediate action to rectify the situation. A new Governor has been appointed and a strengthened management team is in place; capacity has been reduced by 172 places; over 700 prisoners now have a named Prison Officer as their ‘Key Worker’; cleanliness has been improved and the maintenance backlog has been almost halved. Liverpool has a dedicated staff who are committed to providing a safe and decent environment for prisoners. The Governor will get the support she needs to deliver the action plan and make the changes necessary to substantially improve the performance and conditions at the prison.”

Northern Ireland has the highest suicide rates in the UK but 25% less funding. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-has-highest-rate-of-suicide-in-the-uk-but-mental-health-funding-is-25-less-36418579.html In fact, in a recent study of suicide rates and reported on by the Guardian (link below) Northern Ireland has had more suicides in the 20 years since the Good Friday agreement in 1998 than in 28 years during the troubles from 1969 - 1997. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/feb/20/northern-ireland-suicides-troubles-death-toll We the undersigned find this situation cruel and unacceptable and it has to change. Since Northern Ireland is receiving an extra £1bn in funding we demand that...... 1. The Department of Health commit to an increase of funding to mental health services of at least 10% from the £1bn extra funding for Northern Ireland secured by the DUP after the last General election. 2. The current £7m per year allocated to suicide prevention through the Public Health Agency be increased to £21m per year from the £1bn extra funding for Northern Ireland secured by the DUP after the last General election. 3. An effective, sustainable and long-term suicide prevention campaign to begin at the earliest opportunity

Homelessness is an issue that can affect any one of us. It is getting worse and more needs to be done both nationally and locally. However, people living on the streets deserve to be treated with compassion, understanding and empathy and they most certainly DO NOT deserve to be demonised, vilified, persecuted or mistreated.